THE ASPLENIA 69 
does not present a single character peculiar to that genus. The 
distinguishing fructification of the genus is the arrangement of the 
spore heaps ог sori in definite lines, short or long, arranged herring- 
bone fashion on each side of the midribs of the divisions, resembling 
what we may see on a large scale in the Hartstongue (Scolopendrium 
vulgare), which is a near relation, but has the lines arranged in faced 
pairs, the two heaps coalescing into one when ripe. These linear 
heaps are provided when young with a transparent whitish cover, 
(indusium), springing from one side. By this character any fertile 
Spleenwort is easily recognizable. This arrangement is very clearly 
shown by Fig. 34. The Spleenworts are thoroughly evergreen, and 
are more at home in old walls, rock crevices, and stony dykes than 
in the soil proper, and, in fact, it is only in such positions that our 
native species occur. As regards variation, the genus generally 
is little prone to depart from normal types, and especially to assume 
tasselled forms, and it is therefore somewhat singular that several 
of our native species have done so on rather a generous scale ; 
several, on the other hand, have not “sported ” at all, or at any rate 
have done so on so indifferent a scale that we may well ignore the 
exceptions. Culture, as may be gathered from the nature of their 
habitats, involves perfect drainage, a rubbly, open compost, in- 
cluding some old mortar and porous stone, intermingled with 
leaf mould, and a little loam and sand. On rockwork they should 
be installed in chinks, and not in flat beds, and very close culture 
is not advisable. With these remarks 
we may now proceed to treat of the 
species seriatim. 
ASPLENIUM ADIANTUM-NIGRUM 
(THE BLACK MAIDEN-HAIR 
SPLEENWORT) 
(Plate IV) 
This member of the Spleenwort 
family is one of the commonest and 
most widely spread. It is found in 
abundance in many places, on old: 
walls, in stone dykes, and in hedge- y 
banks, in which the fronds are some- 
times between one and two feet in ^ 


length, including a very long stalk, 
such length being due to the Fern 
projecting its fronds from very deep 
chinks. For culture a larger admix- 
ture of leaf mould is advisable than 
for other Spleenworts, and Mr. G. B. 
Wollaston advised an admixture for Fig. 23. Asp. ad. nig. (pinna). 






